Indianapolis-An Amboy, Ind., feed and grain company has agreed to pay a fine of $8,750 and reimburse the state another $1,602.53 for loss of and damage to fish and wildlife from a spill of approximately 5,000 gallons of liquid ammonia fertilizer, according to an agreement with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). On April 20, 2008, the fertilizer leaked from a rusting tank over the secondary containment onto a parking lot, running towards the field tile and into Niger Creek. According to the document, McGrawsville Feed & Grain Inc. failed to notify authorities of the spill, which resulted in a fish kill in the creek. The accident was blamed on an equipment failure due to a hole in the side of the rusty storage tank. McGrawsville failed to report the spill within the required two hours of discovery and undertake a proper spill response, but by July 8 it had finished removing the heavily impacted soil from the parking lot and pumping the contaminated water from the creek. Efforts have been started with the state chemist to address the tanks at the site. Three of the tanks, including the one causing the spill, have been removed from service and are being legally abandoned. The remaining tanks have been painted and moved to the center of a concrete pad for secondary containment. McGrawsville is also working on land application approval for the contaminated soil. IDEM spokesman Barry Sneed informed Green Markets that the company has also submitted its spill response plan, which is under technical review.
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